Who We Are

Erika Haaland(CEO, Founder, Lead Instructor)Erika received her undergraduate degree from the University of Evansville, IN and her MFA from the University of California, Irvine, where she taught Acting, Movement, and Voice/Speech. She is a certified Contact Improv teacher in the Loui Movement Technique, and as a teacher has worked all over the U.S. with universities, high schools, and professional theatre companies such as Vagabond School of the Arts, The North Shore Music Theatre, The Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Perry Mansfield School of Performing Arts, and The Boulder Conservatory Theatre. She is incredibly passionate about the effects that meditation can have on well-being and is excited for the opportunity to learn and share her own knowledge with others.

Shannon Wojtas(CFO, Founder, Lead Instructor)Shannon holds a BFA in Performance from Wayne State University, where she spent a summer studying at the Moscow Art Theatre, and an MFA in Directing from the University of California, Irvine where she taught Movement and Directing. She is a certified Contact Improv teacher in the Loui Movement Technique and a certified yoga instructor at the RYT 200 level. Shannon has taught classes and workshops at studios and theaters across the Midwest including Yoga Six, First Ascent, Vagabond School of the Arts, Joffrey Ballet, Wayne State University, Shattered Globe Theatre, and Filament Theatre. She is fully invested in the mind-body connection and its lasting impact, and is thrilled to be sharing her passion and skills with people from all walks of life.

Alison Plott(Director of Research & Strategic Partnerships, Lead Instructor)A California native, Alison holds an MFA in Acting from the University of California, Irvine and a BA in Theatre from the University of California, Riverside. In addition to being a certified Contact Improv teacher in the Loui Movement Technique, she has taught a variety of theatre courses at the university level as well as workshops for the International Thespian Society, Cal State Fullerton, Vagabond School of the Arts, Filament Theatre, New Swan Shakespeare Festival, and the Texas Shakespeare Festival. As an actor, she has performed with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Santa Rosa Repertory Theatre, New Swan Shakespeare Festival, Texas Shakespeare Festival, About Face, Steep, The Comrades, Arc Theatre, Aston Rep, and the Women's Theatre Alliance. Alison works as a Research Analyst for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago; an organization dedicated to providing violence prevention, academic readiness, fitness and healthy living, and identity development to the youth of Chicago.

Michelle Maurer(Director of Marketing, Avid Mover)Michelle holds a BA in Drama with Honors in Directing from University of California, Irvine, where she spent four years as a community programmer and event planner. A Chicago-based graphic designer, calligrapher, event planner, and fund raiser, she loves designing invitations, playbills & programs, websites, and all things print. Michelle wears multiple hats in the non-profit world and has been a part of the Development team for a number of arts organizations. She currently sits on the Board of Managers for GiGi's Playhouse Chicago, one of many Down syndrome achievement centers throughout the country.

Liz Krane(Director of Education, Instructor)Liz is a Chicago-based actor and educator who has been using the principles of acting, yoga and mediation to help children find their voice and their breath for eight years across America and Beijing, China. Liz is a limited term lecturer at Perdue University where she teaches Introduction to Acting for Non-Acting majors. She is an instructor for the Chicago company Creative Wellness, where these method of movement and deepening breath are being brought into the corporate world in addition to the classroom. She is currently in training for her 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teacher certification after seeing how the simple act of introducing movement into the day can improve children’s ability to learn. She holds a BA from Fairfield University and an MFA in Acting from Purdue University.